The genetic underpinnings of population cyclicity: establishing expectations for the genetic anatomy of cycling populations

Despite extensive research into the mechanisms underlying population cyclicity, we have little understanding of the impacts of numerical fluctuations on the genetic variation of cycling populations. Thus, the potential implications of natural and anthropogenically-driven variation in population cycle dynamics on the diversity and evolutionary potential of cyclic populations is unclear. Here, we use Canada lynx Lynx canadensis matrix population models, set up in a linear stepping-stone, to generate demographic replicates of biologically realistic cycling populations. Overall, increasing cycle amplitude predictably reduced genetic diversity and increased genetic differentiation, with cyclic effects increased by population synchrony. Modest dispersal rates (1–3% of the population) between high and low amplitude cyclic populations did not diminish these effects suggesting that spatial variation in cyclic amplitude should be reflected in patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation at t...

尽管学界已对种群周期性的内在机制开展了大量研究，但我们对种群数量波动对周期性种群遗传变异的影响仍知之甚少。因此，自然与人为驱动的种群周期动态变化，对周期性种群的遗传多样性及进化潜力的潜在影响尚不明确。本研究采用构建于线性踏石（linear stepping-stone）结构中的加拿大猞猁（Lynx canadensis）矩阵种群模型，生成具有生物学真实性的周期性种群的种群统计重复样本。总体而言，周期振幅的提升会按预期降低遗传多样性并提升遗传分化，而种群同步性会强化此类周期性效应。在高、低振幅周期性种群之间，适度的扩散速率（为种群总数的1%~3%）并未削弱上述效应，这表明周期性振幅的空间差异应当反映在遗传多样性与遗传分化的分布模式中，直至...